


Love Lurks In The Shadows

by deadgirltryingtosurvive



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Demon Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Demon/Human Relationships, Human Eren Yeager, Human Sacrifice, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2019-07-18 02:05:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16108517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deadgirltryingtosurvive/pseuds/deadgirltryingtosurvive
Summary: When his village resorts to demon sacrifice to end a blight Eren Jaeger is horrified to find they've chosen to sacrifice him. After a failed escape he's thrown into a terrifying reality when he comes face to face with an actual demon. The demon, who claims his name is Levi, never shows his face and keeps Eren locked up in a hidden away place. What happens when Eren finds out Levi's not keeping him in, but keeping something else out? And what happens when Eren finds out Levi's reasons?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> My mom is being nice and editing this for me, so yay! She has demanded that she get five percent of all profits.... she is also aware that this is a free fanfic and she will be receiving a lovely sum of zero. So if anyone wants to give me a dollar she'll get a nickel, lol.
> 
> If I'm being honest I only have the beginning of chapter two started and I take awhile to write so I'll inevitably end up changing the summary.

Eren had always prided himself over how beautiful everyone thought he was. Tan sun-kissed skin, emerald eyes that would sometimes appear blue under the right lighting, soft and unruly short hair, and a tall lanky figure. He was by no means vain, in fact he didn't think he looked all that pretty at all. Eren thought of himself as average, in every aspect of the word. Not special at all.

If his mother wanted to fawn over his supposed beauty then he wouldn't stop her. If it made her happy it made him happy.

But everything changed the year he was to turn sixteen.

A blight swept the land. All the crops died and all the wildlife moved on in search of food. The village of Shiganshina was left to starve. No help would come from neighboring villages because not only were they a distance that could take up to two months travel, if not longer, they were also suffering from the same blight and had nothing to spare.

Left with what seemed to be no hope the villagers succumbed to the words of heretics.

The only warning that came was rumors of a sacrificial offering being considered to ward away the blight. Eren paid no mind to these rumors as he believed that the villagers of Shiganshina where smart reasonable people. But oh how wrong he would find himself to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This idea was actually originally conceived when I had to read the Greek love story for Cupid and Psyche in my literature class... I definitely didn't make it based off that but I most certainly used similar elements.
> 
> Also, side note. Cupid wasn't the Greek spelling? It was like the Roman spelling or something? The Greek name was Eros. So why is it Cupid and Psyche and not Eros and Psyche? I'm so confused.


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren's life falls apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg, wow. Okay so i posted this like three four days ago and here's the current stats on it: Subscriptions: 12 Hits: 216 Kudos: 24 Comment Threads: 5 Bookmarks: 7
> 
> THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!! This is honestly the most of any of these I've ever gotten.
> 
> Now I'd just like to apologize. The way I wrote this is a slightly different style from the "prologue" and I honestly think that the more I'm writing the more shitty it's getting.
> 
> I was gonna wait like a week before posting this but I got impatient so here y'all go.

Eren was helping his mother with the laundry when he heard his two best friends calling for him. He looked over to his mother and she smiled kindly back, telling him to go see what they wanted, that she could finish up without further assistance.

It wasn't too hard to find his friends when they were still calling out for him. They sounded panicked so he hurried along to where he thought he heard them.

“Oh thank the gods! Eren!” Mikasa cried out when she saw the brunette coming towards her.

“Mika, what's wrong?” he asked his adopted sister.

“You haven't heard? Eren, you have to run. You have to get far away from here!” Armin appeared next to Mikasa.

Armin and Mikasa had been his best friends since they were kids. The trio was practically inseparable.

Eren frowned over at the blonde. “What? What are you guys talking about?”

He looked between the two, they both had looks of terror of their faces.

“We overheard some members of The Guard talking.” Mikasa started slowly. “They were talking about the-” she stopped.

“Talking about what? Mikasa, are you... crying!?”

Eren had never seen Mikasa cry before, not once since he'd met her. It scared him to his core that she was crying right now.

The dark haired girl turned her head away and mumbled a simple “No.” into the scarf she always wore. The scarf Eren had given her when she had come to live with his family.

Armin drew the boys attention when he continued where Mikasa had left off.

“We overheard some soldiers talking about the assignment they'd been given. Apparently all those rumors of a sacrifice weren't wrong. They've decided to gift the most beautiful person in the village to supposed demons.”

Eren looked at Armin blankly. Yes, he was absolutely horrified that this was actually going to happen, but he didn't know what that had to do with him.

Mikasa finally let out a sob as she said “You're such an idiot Eren. It's you. They picked you!”

Eren felt his jaw drop.  _ Him?  _ He had been chosen to be  _ sacrificed  _ to _ demons!? _ What was this world coming to?

The brunette shook his head violently. “No. No, there must be some mistake. They wouldn’t do that!”

Mikasa was openly crying now and Armin looked like he was on the verge of losing it.

The sound of Eren’s parents’ names being called broke the tension between them. Running footsteps came closer and the trio saw a familiar soldier looking frantic.

Hannes was a ‘family friend’, which basically meant that he thought he owed Eren’s father and always went out of his way to help them. Of course he kinda did owe the doctor who had saved most of the village a few years back when a fatal sickness spread throughout the vast population of Shiganshina.

“Hannes? Why are you looking for mum and dad?” Eren asked after getting ahold of his thoughts.

“I need to-” The man stopped to gulp in another breath, clearly winded from running. “I need to warn them. Eren, The Guard is looking for you. I need to find Carla and Grisha.”

Mikasa wiped her face off and blinked back her tears while Armin looked around frantically. Eren was just stunned speechless.  _ Why was this happening to him? _

 

-

 

Hannes snuck the two siblings through the streets to search out their father while Armin ran off after saying he had an idea and would be back soon. The Guard was indeed already searching for Eren, soldiers fanned out everywhere. Being a member of The Guard himself, Hannes was able to manage keeping the boy hidden while they searched for Grisha, having already found Carla where Eren had left her. Carla had wanted to come with them in search of her husband, but Hannes had insisted that she wait for them, claiming that it would be harder to travel unseen with more people.

Eren thought that was weird; if they were separate then after finding Grisha they’d have to backtrack to get back to his mother. Wouldn’t the extra effort to bring Carla with them be worth it if it meant not having to double back?

“Eren, focus.” Mikasa hissed in his ear.

“Sorry. I was just thinking.” He whispered back.

His sister frowned at him but didn’t say anything as they began moving through the shadows again.

They stopped again behind a building that had to be passed by to get to the marketplace. The shadows were dark enough to easily hide in. Hannes turned to the two and told them to stay and wait while he checked the market.

As soon as the man had disappeared Mikasa turned to her brother and gave him ‘the look’ as Eren often called it. It was a look that basically said ‘I know you’re lying or keeping something from me. Spill.’ and it was always used accordingly.

The boy sighed and turned toward the ravenette.

“I was just thinking that it’s weird that mom couldn’t come with us. We’ll just have to go back for her once we find dad.”

Mikasa looked thoughtfully at the ground for a minute.

“Hannes was talking with her while we were talking with Armin, when he said he had to go do something. They probably talked about some plan to meet up?”

“Yeah that’s pretty much it. Your mom will meet us at the stables at the North side of the village.” Hannes said, appearing in the darkness.

Both teens appeared unsurprised at the man's sudden appearance.

Seeing as he was alone they assumed he hadn’t found their father, so they didn’t feel the need to ask unnecessary questions.

“I asked around and I think I know where Grisha is. Come on.”

He turned away and they silently followed.

 

-

 

“Eren!” Grisha’s hushed voice called out.

The two siblings hiding in the shadows looked up to see their father following Hannes, both of them hurrying toward the shadows to join the younger pair.

“Dad, thank the gods we found you.” Mikasa said once they were close enough.

Grisha hugged the two tightly.

“Carla is waiting for us, let's go.” Hannes interrupted them.

All three nodded in agreement and they all set out towards the stables.

Eren couldn't help but be thankful that they went unnoticed by the searching soldiers. When they finally arrived at the stables Carla was already waiting nervously for them. Upon seeing his mother again Eren threw himself toward her, allowing himself to melt into her warm embrace. Mikasa added herself to the hug and Grisha came up and wrapped all of them into his own arms. It was easier than trying to say goodbye.

Eren didn't know Hannes had passed them by and gone into the stables until he was reappearing with a horse. Everyone disentangled themselves and remained silent while the soldier explained his plan. Eren was to get as far away as fast as he could. It would be the only way to save the boy.

His family was resigned to the fact that he had to go. At least this way he'd live.

Carla was near tears as she once again clutched her son to her bosom in a tight hug. Her voice shook slightly with desperation as she whispered in his ear.

“Go to Trost. We'll follow once it's safe.”

The woman pulled away and said aloud “I love you Eren. You'll always be my beautiful baby boy.”

Normally Eren would've rolled his eyes and argued that he wasn't a baby anymore, but this wasn't a normal situation. Instead he smiled at his mother sadly and gave a slight nod.

“Come now dear, it's hard enough for the boy that he has to leave, let's not make this any harder.” Grisha spoke softly to his wife.

Eren kept his eyes down as his mother pulled away, not able to bare seeing all the sad looks on his family's faces. Then suddenly Mikasa was hugging him in an iron tight hold, hands gripping tightly onto his shirt.

“I'll miss you Eren.” she mumbled into his shoulder.

The boy wrapped his arms around her equally as tight as he buried his face into her shoulder. “I'll miss you too Mika.”

Then his sister was gone and he was climbing onto the horse. He'd only ridden a couple of times in the past but it was faster than trying to run on foot.

He turned to look at his family, all of them holding back tears. He gulped, forcing himself not to break down. Then Hannes slapped the horses rump, sending Eren hurtling away. Away from Shiganshina. Away from everything he'd ever known.

Away from everyone he'd ever loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, literally anyone who's read the summary knows how this is gonna turn out. I really couldn't get away with no spoilers in the summary, sorry.
> 
> My mom called me out that Mikasa crying like that and not just taking Eren and leaving right on the spot was out of character. First of all mom, it's my fic I can do what I freaking want! Second of all, Mikasa is smart, she knew she wouldn't be able to get out of the village without being caught. Also she just couldn't take the thought of Eren, this kind sweet person who she loves, being sacrificed to creatures she believes don't even exist. It's a lot to take and I'm sure you'd cry too, I certainly would.
> 
> I'd like to say again, thank you all so much. I got so many kudos and all of your comments made me absolutely ecstatic. Feel free to keep commenting, that's actually the main reason I'm half way done with the next chapter already.
> 
> Also I don't think we're going to be meeting Levi until like the fourth chapter. I guess we'll just have to see how it works out though.
> 
> Oh yeah, and we get to see a bit of how Armin is seeing things in the next chapter! I hope that doesn't throw anyone off? It just works out better from his perspective than Erens.


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren is caught and brought back to the village. Armins perspective on events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah so, if you read the summery you knew this was gonna happen.
> 
> I'd like to apologize, I kept telling myself I'd post this on Sunday and that I had time to finish writing this chapter later. Sunday rolls around and look at that, I still hadn't finished this chapter. And instead of finishing this chapter I watched the new episode of Doctor Who. (So many people complained about the Doctor being a girl now and the first episode had higher viewer rates than any other episode?? Wow, take that.) I love the new Doctor!
> 
> Anyways, back on topic. I just finished this since I stayed home sick today and since it's been awhile I don't want to wait for my mom to go through and correct things so this chapter might be a little rough around the edges. Although I did say in the last chapter that I had this chapter started so I'd like to say that Armin's comment in the begining was all her. I wouldn't put that there I swear, I don't see Armin as having that kinda mentality and he'd never make a joke out of something so serious. (Please don't hate me.)
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter? Sorry for making you wait awhile when I said it be out sooner.
> 
> And remember, this chapter starts out from Armin's pov!

It was five days later that a spectacle in the center of the village drew Mikasa and Armin away from their quiet sulking.

At first all they saw was soldiers from The Guard dragging a brunette through the crowd. When they got to the center and the crowd backed away the two teens saw that it was Eren.

After the initial horror of Eren being caught sunk in, Armin attempted to make light of the situation by saying “Clearly he wasn’t very good at horseback riding.”

His joke was met with a withering glare from Mikasa but he shrugged it off. There was no getting out of this this time. Better to joke then to suffer.

The boy looked beaten and dirty, as if he'd been physically dragged back. Armin desperately hoped that wasn't so.

One of the ‘priests’ came forward and started talking about how Eren running away had angered the demons who’d been promised him and that’s why instead of just giving him over to the demons they’d have to perform a ritual first. Armin couldn’t help but roll his eyes at that, they were just coming up with things at this point to make the villagers more dependent on them.

They called themselves the Order of Sina, having apparently originated in another town called Sina. They claim that, because the townspeople there hadn’t heeded their words, the town had been decimated by demons. Mikasa thought it was total crap, but Armin had been curious and looked into it. There had indeed been a town called Sina, and it had burned.

And it hadn’t been a gradually growing fire either. Reports from witnesses claimed that the entire town had suddenly been engulfed in flames out of nowhere and that ungodly screams of resolute terror and pain had been heard for miles. There had been few survivors, the Order of Sina survived and a handful of townsfolk. The few townsfolk who survived all died, either from their wounds or from their own hand. Many claimed they couldn’t live with the memories, and that death would give them release from the ‘demons that would chase them throughout the remainder of their lives’. Needless to say, they were all dead within a week of the incident. From the information Armin could gather from reports it was assumed that when they said ‘demons’ they meant the memories. But when you add the fact of what the Order of Sina claimed definitely painted a different story.

Unfortunately the blonde hadn’t been able to find much about it since it had happened over twenty years ago. Back then the Order of Sina didn’t have a formal name, but they called themselves demon soothsayers.

The boy was pulled from his thoughts when Mikasa growled and started forward. His hand shot out and he grabbed Mikasa as tightly as he could.

“Don’t Mikasa! You’ll just make things worse!” he hissed at her.

“How could it get worse than this? They’re going to kill him Armin!” she replied heatedly.

“No, they aren’t. They aren’t going to outright kill him.” Mikasa frowned at her friend, prompting him to clarify. He sighed and continued, “They’re going to dangle him over the chasm outside of the village.”

This girl looked absolutely horrified. She looked away from her friend and back towards her brother, who was hanging limply from the grip of two soldiers and the pole he’d been chained to.

Eren really did look badly beaten and in that moment Armin made a decision. He laid a hand on Mikasa’s shoulder and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“After nightfall, meet me back here. We won’t let Eren go without at least saying goodbye and seeing to his injuries.”

The girl nodded. “I'll bring some food, he looks like he hasn't eaten since he left.”

Armin didn't comment that it was highly likely that Eren hadn't.

 

-

 

After leaving the crowded streets and saying goodbye to Mikasa, Armin headed to where Hannes was usually stationed at that time of day. Upon seeing the man Armin scrambled towards him.

“Hannes! I need to ask something of you.”

He looked up at the boy with concern, having not yet heard the news about Eren and not knowing why the kid was so wound up.

Coming to a stop in front of the soldier he spoke as quietly as he could so that no one could overhear him.

“They caught Eren, he's been chained up at the central platform in the village proper. Do you think you can get it so Mikasa and I can talk to him unnoticed tonight? We're going to whether you can or not, it'd just be nice to have more privacy to say goodbye.”

Hannes looked taken aback. After trying so hard to save Eren, it had all been for naught. He couldn't help but feel like it was partially his fault. He should've tried harder, done more.

“I'll see what I can do Armin.” he assured the blonde.

Armin nodded before saying his goodbye and heading home. He had things to prepare for tonight.

 

\- Eren’s pov

 

Eren had been so focused on escaping, on getting away, on getting to Trost, that he hadn't taken the precautions he should've. It had led to him getting caught.

He hadn't stopped to eat or sleep, he'd just kept going. On and on and on. As far away as he could get. Just like he'd been told to.

He didn't know how The Guard had caught up to him so quickly. He didn't even know what he'd done wrong, but it must have been something huge if it was so easy for them to catch up to and find him.

But that wasn't the worst part. Oh no, nowhere near.

The worst was when the soldiers decided that they would punish the boy for making them have to chase him down.

The night they’d caught Eren they’d beaten him and refused to give him food or water. When they set off to return to Shiganshina they’d tied him to a horse and let him be dragged behind the running beast. Any times they’d stopped for a rest they’d used it as a good excuse to kick Eren a few more times.

By the time they’d returned to the village Eren couldn’t see straight and the pain spread across his entire body had become a numb throb in the back of his mind.

Once the soldiers dismounted the leader of the search party had untied Eren and dragged him to the village proper. The central stage there was used for important announcements, public prosecutions, the occasional hanging back in the day, and for somewhere to leave prisoners for ‘public embarrassment’ and the like. In the center of the stage was a special pole that had an empty slot through the middle, when the pole was lifted you could put the chain of shackles there and when the pole was put back down and locked the prisoner couldn’t get out.

Eren barely stumbled along as he was dragged up to the poll and shoved to the ground. He was too weak and hurt to do anything as they locked him in place. He might have escaped previously but they were obviously not going to be taking any chances this time.

Eren was trapped. He was going to die. And he couldn’t do anything to stop it.

Through the haze of his mind he felt sharp pain as someone punched him. He couldn’t even flinch away since he was chained to the poll.

He could feel tears starting to fill his eyes, a combination of all the pain and terror he’d been through in the past few days and the fact he’d just laid eyes on his best friends in the crowd.

Mikasa had a look of rage twisted across her features as Armin struggled to hold her back. Eren was glad, he didn’t want Mikasa to needlessly get hurt.

Vision blurry from tears and exhaustion Eren couldn’t stay focused anymore. He welcomed the dark shroud of unconsciousness that fell over him.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, did you like it? I'd love it if you'd tell me if you did! I do love getting comments.
> 
> I have a little bit of the next chapter written but I don't know how often I'll be able to write more. I unfortunately won't get to read any comments right away because I'm currently grounded so my phone's been blocked.
> 
> I would like to say thanks to all of you for the amount of kudos, comments, and subscriptions this story has gotten.
> 
> I really hope you're liking this story so far. In the next chapter you get a very vague sneak peak at Levi! But we still don't actually get to meet him for a few more chapters.
> 
> Also, if anyone wants to go check out my Tumblr it's the exact same username as I use on here. I can't link it right now but hopefully when I post the next chapter I'll be able to!


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren has a strange dream and the trio says their last goodbyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry it's been awhile.
> 
> Authors Life update! I went to my first ever convention last Saturday! It was anime fusion and omg I had so much fun! I did a really crappy closet cosplay of Eren Jaeger... with a flower crown.
> 
> Also, I swear I ment to post this yesterday, I was just really tired throughout the entire day and forgot.
> 
> Um, I'm gonna get a little personal here so if you want you can just skip to the story now!  
> Today, October 25th, is the anniversary of my grandma's death. My grandma was my best friend, she knew me batter than anyone. She died when I was ten and I've had depression ever since. I'm hoping that posting this today will make me even a little bit more happy than I've been this last week.
> 
> Okay, that's it. Go read!

_All that could be seen in any direction was fog. Eren wandered aimlessly through the barren land. He had no clue where he was or how he’d gotten there._

_Suddenly he felt a presence somewhere behind him. He halted and spun around._

_There in the distance was a shape within the fog. The first actual shape he’d seen as of yet. It looked humanoid, slightly childlike with it’s short stature._

_But the voice that spoke was anything but childlike. It was antient._

_“What are you doing here?” The figure asked, cocking its head to the side._

_Eren didn’t know why but he suddenly felt safe._

_“I don’t know.” he spoke honestly._

_The figure crept slightly forward. It seemed… hesitant._

_“How did you get here?”_

_“I- I don’t know” he said again._

_The figure stopped and straightened itself._

_“You don’t know? You shouldn’t be here. How could you not know?”_

_The more the figure spoke the more Eren was starting to think the voice sounded like that of a man's. But he still couldn’t make out the figure's gender through all the fog, just a vague outline._

_The fog cleared a little then, and Eren could make out more features. The figure looked humanoid and male. But, somewhere in the back of Eren’s mind, something was telling him that this thing before him was_ not _human._

_“Please, I don’t know what’s going on…” Eren didn’t know why he was begging this creature. It just seemed like he’d be able to help him. Maybe he could help Eren find his way back home._

_The humanoid creature took another slow step towards him. It glanced around, as if looking for something, before looking back at Eren._

_The eyes that Eren gazed into weren’t human at all. They glowed an erie and unnatural icey blue. Upon seeing them Eren gasped and stumbled backwards, all his instincts telling him to run._

_The figure stiffened and the antient voice once again spoke._

_“Close your eyes and stay still. I can send you back where you belong, but you must obey those two orders.”_

_Eren hesitated for a moment, frantically thinking through his options. He had a feeling that if the creature wanted to kill him he’d probably already be dead, and seeing as he didn’t even know where they were he didn’t have many other options. It was either trust this strange ancient creature or run away and hope he’d find a way home on his own._

_Eren nodded his agreement and shut his eyes._

_He didn’t hear as much as sense the creature coming closer. Still, he kept his eyes tightly closed. He didn’t know what was going to happen but he really hoped he’d made the right choice._

_When a hand brushed Erens side he jumped, but he forced himself to not back away. The creature rested his hands on Erens hips and leaned in to the boy until his lips were brushing Erens ear._

_“Wake up.” He whispered._

 

-

 

Eren’s eyes shot open. He was cold and his entire body hurt. Blinking through the haze of sleep he slowly took in his surroundings. He was at first confused as to why he appeared to be on the center stage in the village proper. And was he chained up?

A wave of clarity washed over him as the fog in his mind faded and he recalled the events of the past week. He knew where he was and he knew why. And he was admittedly terrified. But then, who wouldn’t be? Especially in these circumstances.

The sun was setting and ahead of him he could see two figures hurrying towards him from the shadows.

“Eren!” Mikasa whisper shouted.

Even through the pain he felt, Eren smiled. At least he’d get to see his two best friends before he met his inevitable demise. He chuckled darkly to himself at that thought.

“We were so worried about you.” Armin said once the pair were closer.

“I’m okay. Don’t worry about me.” he reassured.

They all knew it was a lie, but no one said a word to oppose him. None of them had the heart to.

Armin and Mikasa sat down next to the chained boy and set down all the supplies they’d brought along. He eyed them suspiciously.

“You know it’s pointless, right?” He whispered, his smile falling.

“Eren, I don’t care if you were to drop dead in the next hour, I’d still be here doing this.” Mikasa harshly stated.

“And you know I would be too.” Armin added, “We really care about you Eren. No matter what.”

For the first time in too long an authentic smile lit up Eren Jaeger’s face. He had good friends and he deeply regretted that he hadn’t fully appreciated them in the years he’d known them. It was far too late now though. He didn’t know how long it would be until his death but he was sure it would be soon. Very soon.

As if reading his mind Armin started explaining to the siblings exactly what would be happening.

First, there would be a ritual of some sort. The ritual would supposedly weaken a rift of sorts that was located in the chasm outside of the village. With the rift weakened the demons would hypothetically be able to traverse to this plane of existence. The said ritual was already in process and would last the entire night.

“How do you know all of this Armin?” Eren questioned with a frown.

Armin looked up from his concentrated explanations to look his friend in the eyes.

“When we separated, back when you were first trying to escape, I went to the library. I started doing extensive research on the matter. I figured it would be useful to be educated on just what exactly is going on around here. I found out a lot of information on the Order of Sina, such as where they originated and how they came to be. I also looked into what kind of things demon sacrifice entailed. I found out a lot about that topic in general and I was lucky enough to find information relating that topic back to the Order of Sina specifically.” Armin started explaining.

“Is this not the first time something like this has happened?” Mikasa asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

The blonde gave them both a forlorn look. “No, it’s not.”

The siblings shared a look before looking back to Armin to continue.

“The Order of Sina originated in a town called Sina, this was back before they’d taken on the name Sina. The people of Sina didn’t believe them, much like us.” Armin gestured to the three of them.

“Too bad the rest of the village doesn’t share our views.” Mikasa grumbled.

Ignoring the petulant ravenette, Armin continued. “The Order of Sina told warnings of a demon attack on the town, warnings that were obviously brushed off. The town known as Sina is no longer in existence.”

“What happened to it?” Eren piped in.

Armin’s face went blank. “It burned.”

Silence washed over them. It had to be a coincidence, right? The demons the Order of Sina wanted to ‘sacrifice’ him too weren’t actually real, right?

Mikasa shifted her weight and, trying to lighten the subject, asked Armin if he needed help with the bandages he’d been unraveling.

It was silently decided that the subject of demons and the Order of Sina would be better left alone.

Trying to ignore the fact that this time tomorrow Eren would probably be dead, the three bantered back and forth throughout the rest of the night.

When the first rays of sunlight started to filter over the surrounding houses Armin and Mikasa quickly left. It wasn’t a rule that they weren’t suppose to be there, but they all knew that it wouldn’t be taken kindly.

After whispering their last goodbyes and giving tight hugs, Eren was left alone again.

It wouldn’t be long before someone from the Order of Sina came to retrieve him. It wouldn’t be long until he’d be lead straight to the end.

The end of everything he ever knew. The end of his life.

He sent a silent prayer to the gods Mikasa had always believed in, those whose existence he’d scoffed at more times that he could recall, that his death would at least be swift and painless.

He tried not to think too much about the inevitable doom hanging before him as soldiers came and roughly dragged him out of Shiganshina for the final time.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo....
> 
> Yeah Chapter Four should have Eren being dangled over the chasm. I haven't started writing it yet though. The next chapter I post will be a kind of extra about Levi. That's right, we get Levi's pov next time!
> 
> Well that's all, I guess. I'd love it if you'd leave comments! Even if on an older chapter. I love hearing your thoughts!
> 
> Hope you all have a lovely day and that your week has been much much better than mine!


	5. Extra Chapter: Levi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi's pov. Basically the only thought in his head is 'what the fuck'
> 
> Shitty summary but it's the best I got.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear, I had this finished last Thursday! My mom didn't edit it until Monday night and I forgot to post it yesterday. So sorry guys, I didn't mean to take so long!
> 
> Anyways, yay Levi's chapter!

When he felt a strange stirring in the Barren Lands, a peculiar feeling of unease forming inside him, he decided to investigate. He didn’t often leave his secluded home, but for some reason he felt drawn to the source of these unknown happenings.

When he reached the Barren Lands he could see a fog had rolled in. It was the fog of the lost, which of course wouldn’t affect him. Only humans could be affected.

He honestly would have prefered to be human, as opposed to the monster he’d been born as. He was a demon, for the most part. You see his father, whom he’d never met, had been a demon. His mother, on the other hand, had been a shifter.

He’d been raised by his mother, but she had died a long time ago.

She was the one who’d taught him how to shift his form between demon and human, or at least human-like. His mother’s human form had been beautiful, unlike his own. While his  human form looked very similar to his mother’s, it was still quite obvious that he was very much  _ not _ human.

Through the fog he could see a young human. He called forth his birthright and shifted his form, hiding his wings and horns. But his eyes still glowed and anyone close enough would see that his teeth and fingernails were un-humanly sharp and slightly elongated.

It would have to do.

He slowly crept closer to the human. He could tell that it was male and seemed to have not yet reached adulthood. What in all the realms was a human child doing in a place such as this!?

Before he could second guess himself he started towards the boy. He came to a halt, however, when the boy spun around and looked straight at him. He tilted his head slightly and asked the question he’d been thinking not moments before.

“What are you doing here?”

The boy, who’d been tense upon spinning around, suddenly relaxed. He couldn’t help but to wonder why that was.

“I don’t know.” The boy answered.

He took a slow step forward, hoping to not scare the human.

“How did you get here?”

If he could solve this peculiar puzzle perhaps the strange feelings twisting around inside him would go away.

“I- I don’t know.” The boy said again.

He stopped and subconsciously straightened up. How could this child not know? Here was this kid, in a place beyond dangerous, and he didn’t know how or why.

“You don’t know? You shouldn’t be here. How could you not know?”

He couldn’t wrap his mind around it. None of this was making any sense at all.

The fog started to shift, a feeling of dread starting to settle. If the fog cleared too much the boy would be able to see him. He’d see that what he was talking to was a monster.

“Please, I don’t know what’s going on…” the boy pleaded.

He didn’t know what the boy was pleading for but it tugged at his heart in a most peculiar way. How curious this entire ordeal was turning out to be.

Taking a chance he hesitantly stepped forward while glancing around for any threats. He figured that he wouldn’t be the only one to have felt the presence of this boy and he knew if he didn’t send him back home he’d probably be trapped within nightmare after nightmare for the rest of eternity. Normally the demon wouldn’t care, but this boy was doing strange things to him.

Their eyes met and he felt his breath catch. He gazed into the most beautifully colored eyes he’d ever seen, blue and green dancing together in a breathtaking display.

He was ripped away from his thoughts when the boy gasped and flinched away, stumbling over his feet in his rush to get as far from the demon as possible.

His back stiffened. He knew this would happen. He needed to get closer to the brat to send him back home, but he couldn’t do that with those eyes wide with fear staring back at him.

“Close your eyes and stay still. I can send you back where you belong, but you must obey those two orders.”

The boy hesitated for a brief moment before nodding and closing his eyes.

With another quick glance around he started towards the human boy. All he’d have to do is get close enough to whisper in the boy’s ear.  But when he was face to face with the boy, who was actually slightly taller than him, he couldn’t help it. He knew it was wrong but he found himself craving contact, even if just to brush his fingers against the boys softly tousled hair.

He reached out and brushed the boys side with his hand. The boy jumped a little but otherwise didn’t move. He thought to himself that it was a good sign that the boy was still obeying his words. Since he received such promising results he resolved himself and pressed both his hands onto the boys hips. He leaned forward, much more than he actually needed to, until his lips brushed the brunettes ear.

“Wake up.” He whispered.

A mixture of thick smoke and grey fog swirled around them, and then, just like that, the boy was gone.

The strange feelings inside him didn’t go away when the boy did. As he traveled home he couldn’t stop thinking about the brunette and found himself wishing he knew his name. He slightly regretted not telling the boy his own name, much to his own confusion. It would have been so easy to speak the word that his mother always said so beautifully.  _ Levi _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I confused you I'm sorry. The next chapter will continue where the last one left off.
> 
> I'm not finished with the next chapter yet (still at the very beginning rip) but I think Eren gets to actually meet Levi for real! But don't take my word for it, I'm not that far yet and I don't know for sure how it'll work out.


	6. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren gets dangled over a chasm. Sacrifice takes place, kind of. And Hanji is a delight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops.... hi guys. It's been over two months. At first it was because I was a bit lazy, then I got stuck on what I was doing with Hanji. Yeah Hanji is introduced in this chapter! I had to figure out what kinda demon they were. I put doing that off for a long time and then my friend kinda threw something at me and I went with it. But then it was the last week of the semester and I was frantically trying to finish up school assignments.  
> Anyone who keeps tabs on my Tumblr is aware that I said I'd update within the week a bit over a week ago, I was finished within a week but had to wait for my mom to beta. And I'm so thankful I waited I had quite a bit that needed to be fixed or altered.
> 
> I realize that I haven't put a link to my Tumblr page yet but I have no clue how to add links?
> 
> This chapter took so long to post so I really hope you guys like It! Enjoy I guess.

To be entirely honest, Eren really didn’t know what he was expecting. But whatever it was, it most certainly  _ wasn’t _ this.

A safe distance from the chasm was a crowd of familiar faces. People from Shiganshina that he’d known his entire life, all looking at him as if he was… less than? As if all this was his fault and he deserved this. He didn’t want to admit it but it hurt. It really hurt.

How could such caring and kind people turn into cold hearted murderers. Because, Eren decided, that’s exactly what they all were. Murderers. Sending an innocent person to their death on a whim.

“Eren!” he heard someone yell.

Turning his head as he was dragged onwards he saw his family. They were being kept farther away by a few members of The Guard. It was obvious as to why. Given the chance any one of them would try to save the boy. Hannes looked almost guilty as he stood with The Guard and Armin kept a tight grip on Mikasa in case she decided to try something. Grisha Jaeger held his wife as she sobbed.

It hurt Eren that those were the only people that would have these events be different.

“I love you!” he yelled towards his family.

Then, not wanting to see the tears he knew would be shed, he turned back to see where he was being led.

At the edge of the chasm was what seemed to be some kind of restraint? A metal contraption that looked like it could be extended out over the bottomless abyss. The guards where dragging him straight towards it so it was probably safe to assume he’d know how it worked soon enough.

Upon reaching the contraption his wrists were shackled into it. There was nothing else to support him. But, that couldn’t be right, they weren’t going to make him dangle by his wrists, right?

Wrong.

The device started to extend, causing Eren to be off balance and, before he could react, he was dangling. The shackles dug into his wrists and he couldn’t help but wince in pain.

As the metal bit into his flesh he thought to himself that if he was left here long enough, and survived this, there would definitely be marks left for awhile.

Eren didn’t notice the ‘priests’ until one of them stepped between himself and the crowd. The boy had to twist around slightly to see what was happening behind him. The man’s back was to Eren as he formally addressed the crowd of onlookers.

“Any here who wishes to live should leave.” He stated.

Whispers spread through the crowd, confused as to why their lives depended on needing to leave.

“The demons we summon are dangerous and volatile creatures that would just as soon take all of us as sacrifice instead of just the offered one.”

Everyone seemed uneasy at that. Good, Eren thought, it serves them right.

Looking behind him was putting more pressure on his cuffed wrists so he let himself hang normally, facing towards the unending expanse before him. He didn’t want to hear any more of what the horrible people who’d started this mess had to say. He just didn’t care anymore.

“Eren Jaeger.” an unfamiliar voice behind him spoke.

He decided that, since he really could do nothing else, he’d ignore the person.

A hand was suddenly yanking his head back by his hair. A voice hiding in his ear.

“How unlucky for you. With the rift weakened temporarily the demons will make easy work of taking you.”

Eren couldn't understand how these people could actually believe in  _ demons _ . I mean seriously, it's just plain crazy!

The air around him started getting colder, and colder, and  _ colder _ . What was happening?

“Oh, looks like they're coming a bit earlier than planned. Must be eager for a new toy, eh.”

_ What!? _

From deep in the darkness below his dangling legs, Eren thought he could see some kind of light. It was steadily getting brighter. Higher. The air becoming even colder.

One of the voices behind him caught his attention with the emotions in his voice. Panic?

“What's happening? This is wrong. The light is blue, it should be green! How did a different demon get here first? We had this planned!”

The more the man spoke the more frantic he sounded.

Now Eren couldn't deny that he was beyond scared. He was not only being  _ sacrificed  _ but it had somehow gone terribly wrong on top of that.

Not wanting to see what would happen next Eren squeezed his eyes shut and hoped that, whatever happened next, it wouldn’t be too painful.

Loud, manic cackling filled the tense silence.  _ What was happening!? _ Eren squeezed his eyes tighter.

The group behind him started shouting and rushing all over the place. He couldn’t tell what exactly most of the noises coming from behind him were, but he knew he probably didn’t want to. The occasional laugh or giggle in between the chaotic noise put him on edge.

The sounds began to grow distant, but Eren still kept his eyes tightly closed. Something in his gut told him that someone was still here, watching him. A chill ran down his spine and he heard someone behind him messing with the mechanisms on the device holding him over the bottomless ravine.

Eren’s eyes flew open when he was suddenly jerked backwards. His feet dragged against the ground for a moment before he could get his footing. With the device back in the position it’d been in originally he was able to stand normally. The weight off his arms was a relief but he could already feel how sore his arms would be later.

If there would be a later…

Someone was still behind him. He didn’t dare turn around, unsure as to  _ what _ was behind him.

The cuffs holding him released and his arms fell. Grimacing, he rubbed at his red wrists. He supposed that it very likely would leave a mark, if not a scar. A thoughtful hum behind him reminded the boy that he wasn’t alone. He resolved himself to turn around, to see who was behind him, who had released him. Or perhaps it was more accurate to think  _ what _ .

Turning around he laid eyes on a humanoid creature. Wild brown hair was very messily pulled back into a ponytail and long strands from the bangs framed the creature’s face.

It was strange, it look so very human. If not for the eyes that dimly glowed and the strangely feline aura it gave off he would think it was just some random woman.

The vaguely cat like woman grinned widely at him and the feline-esque fangs hidden behind her lips glistened.

Eren found himself recoiling, in fear of the creature that must be a demon.  _ What else could it be!? _

“Hello there sweet little thing, aren't you just divine!” the demon exclaimed exuberantly.

The boy took a shaky step backwards and croaked out a nearly silent “Please don't eat me...” before becoming as still as he could.

He figured he wouldn't be able to outrun even a normal human with how exhausted he was. He'd just have to hope that the demon would spare him.

“Now now, just because I'm a Bakeneko doesn't mean I'll eat  _ every _ human I come across.”

The demon winked at him before bluntly stating “My name is Hanji, I think you'll want to be coming with me before more, hm, malicious? Yes, more malicious demons decide to drop on by.”

Eren couldn't seem to wrap his mind around what was happening.

“You want to... help me?” He hesitated. “How do I know you’re not just lying?”

The demon grinned widely. “Guess you'll just have to decide. Me, or those who would, without a doubt, do unspeakable things to you.” It winked at him.

He stood froze. The demon was giving him the option? That- that didn't seem right.  _ Why? Why would the demon do that!? _

Paired with the fact that this demon wasn't the one that was supposed to take him and that it-  _ she? ...whatever _ , had scared off the vile people who'd done this... he figured he'd have better odds going with...  _ them _ .

Before he could even open his mouth the demon suddenly spun around with wide eyes.

“We're out of time. Choose now.”

It almost seemed like they said “He's gonna kill me.” under their breath, but he was probably just hearing things.

Eren nodded frantically. “I'll go with you.”

The demon sighed in relief and snatched the boy's arm. Before he knew what was happening they were both plummeting into the chasm. He didn’t even have a chance to scream.

Maybe this was the wrong choice after all.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo. I freaking love Hanji. I intentionally had them say the demon species they are so that you can look it up if you're curious. From what i briefly read it's a Japanese yoki, cats who become demons from living too long. They're a bit chaotic and occasionally eat humans. They're basically just cats but they can take human form.
> 
> If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments or come bug me on Tumblr. The username is the same as I use here!
> 
> I really hope this didn't suck and that I update much sooner than I have been lately.


	7. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry I've taken so long guys. I lost a lot of my motivation to do anything and I'm trying to get back into things. I am so sorry that this is such a short chapter, I didn't know what else to add? The next chapter might also be small. I'm still slowly trying to build up motivation so...
> 
> This is not betad, my mom was too busy. I actually had this finished over a week ago but was waiting for her.
> 
> Shout out to TechnoQueen for messaging me about this fic and giving me the push to keep writing! They actually gave me the general idea for the plot of this chapter, lol.

Eren wasn’t sure when exactly he’d passed out, all he knew was that he was slowly gaining consciousness. The air around him wasn’t cold, exactly, but it was definitely cooler than it should be for the season.

For a few minutes he swam in the blissful forgetfulness that the fog of sleep brought along. All too soon the haze left him and everything that had happened came back to the forefront of his mind.

The sacrifice, the peculiar demon, the fall.

_ What is happening!? _ he thought to himself. It didn’t make sense. How could any of what happened actually be real? It just… didn’t make sense.

Loud, echoing footsteps jolted Eren out of his thoughts. He finally sat up and took in his surroundings.

He was laid out on a cool marble floor in a wide, long hall. The ceiling was way too high to be necessary. Or at least he hoped so...

As the footsteps got closer he started to hear two voices. Both seemed familiar but they were still too far away to tell.

Not knowing where he was or what was happening, he decided to get up and see if he could find somewhere to hide. Whoever was approaching could very easily wish harm upon him, and that wasn't something he wanted to risk at the moment.

Against the wall were some shelves of different sorts and a tapestry. Seeing no way the shelves could hide him, he turned to see if the tapestry had enough space between it and the wall.

The voices were extremely close now, and he could tell that one of them was the demon from before. The other one seemed so familiar, like he'd once heard it in a dream, but he could put his finger on where, or when, he'd hear it.

He pulled the tapestry back and was relieved to find enough space to hide in if he stayed very still. He quickly hid himself behind it. His back was pressed against the wall with the folds of the tapestry engulfing his form.

“...and you were definitely right, he is absolutely scrumptious.” an over exuberant voice was saying.

A sigh was heard before the other spoke. “You're sure he wasn't hurt Hanji?”

Whoever was talking sounded beyond concerned. Eren passively wondered who they were talking about.

As the footsteps approached his hiding spot he held himself as still as possible and tried to quiet his breathing.

“I already told you, the injuries he had when I arrived where at least a day old and not anything major. No injuries from the time I arrived, I told you I’d keep him safe.”

There was a slight scuffle followed by obnoxious laughter and a rough sigh. Then the footsteps stopped and everything went completely silent.

“Oh shit! Levi, I swear, he was right here.” the voice screeched.

He could hear that the second voice he couldn’t identify was breathing heavily while the first demon continued to frantically blaber.

“I mean I know I was rushing, but I swear he was  _ right here _ . I left him in this hall because I knew it was the easiest access point. Where could he have gone!?”

“ _ Hanji _ ,” the other cut them off. “I believe you, but we  _ need _ to find him. Before they do.”

The last bit was whispered and sent a chill up Eren’s spine.  _ Who was trying to find him!? _

The frantic one started up their hysteric ranting again, but he couldn’t understand a word of it as they had started sobbing as well.

Guilt started to eat at him. It was because he’d hid that this was happening, and the demon really hadn’t done anything previously to cause him harm. Sure, he was dropped into the chasm and didn’t know where he was, but he had no new injuries and appeared to still be alive and breathing.

Hesitantly, he shifted enough to peak around the side of the tapestry.

The demon who’d saved him,  _ Hanji? Yeah that sounded right _ , was blocking his view of the other, shorter figure. Suddenly the other figure was gone. Before Eren could even blink, Hanji spun around with wide eyes.

“Oh! I'm so terribly sorry, you must have had quite a fright waking up alone, hm?”

The look on her... his? Their, it's? It would have to do for now, he supposed. The look on its face was kind, but teasing as well.

Seeing no point in trying to hide when he was so obviously found, Eren stepped out from behind the tapestry. He hadn't quite made it to the center of the hall when suddenly the demon was crushing him in a hug.

“Don't worry about a thing little one, mama Hanji will take care of you!”

Eren stood stock still, face clearly portraying confusion.  _ Little one? Mama Hanji?  _ Nothing was making sense.

Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw the shadows by a wall move. Before he could turn to get a good look he was being pulled in the opposite direction.

“You probably have several questions,” Hanji was saying. “I'll show you to your room and then we'll talk.”

He didn't see any room to object so silently followed.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First and foremost, Eren refers to Hanji as an 'it' in reference to them being a demon. People call creatures 'it' all the time and, technically, demons are creatures. When Hanji tells Eren their gender he uses it and fully respects it. DO NOT REFER TO HUMANS AS AN IT. It's very rude and degrading, that is not what's happening here.
> 
> Thanks so much for all the kudos guys! I can't express how much i appreciate it. Please leave a comment! Even if it's just to say something simple or 'lame' it still makes my day. I love you guys and I hope to finish the next chapter soon!


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